F1E: Autism Discrimination: Civil Rights Matter and Mental Health Issue. What to Do!

This presentation explores the real-life impact of exclusion, discrimination, and isolation on students with disabilities. Through personal experiences, Evan Barnwell, a child with autism, highlights how these challenges affect self-esteem, motivation, and overall well-being. Joining him is his mother, Viviana Barnwell—a teacher, instructional coach, advocate, and foreign-trained attorney—who brings expertise in education, disability rights, and policy. Together, they examine the emotional and systemic barriers students face, the importance of inclusive practices, and practical strategies for creating supportive learning environments where all students are respected, heard, and able to thrive

Learning Outcomes:

Identify and recognize the many ways discrimination and exclusion of students with disabilities can appear in school environments, including subtle, systemic, and normalized practices. 

Examine the connection between school-based discrimination, student belonging, and the long-term impact on mental health, self-esteem, and academic engagement.

Develop practical strategies and action steps that educators, families, students, and school communities can implement to prevent discrimination and foster inclusive, supportive learning environments.

Explore advocacy tools, legal protections, and available remedies for students and families who experience disability-based discrimination in educational settings.

Speakers